They finally found out what was wrong with her.
By Amber
@AmbiePam (97883)
United States
September 28, 2023 2:54pm CST
Some of you may remember me posting about my childhood best friend, and how she had had her uterus, gallbladder, appendix, and spleen removed, all without seeing a specialist. Why she didn’t insist to her PCP that she see someone before giving a general surgeon permission to operate, I don’t know. She’s also had 4 nerve ablations, but that might be on the advice of her pain management doctor.
She’s been to the ER 5 times, and been blown off 5 times. Last week, she ended up in the ER, and finally, someone took her seriously. She’s now been diagnosed with colitis, diabetes (she’s progressed far enough to now need insulin), and POTS (involves symptoms you get when standing up; involves the heart). They are sending her to another doctor for further testing.
My mind is blown. Diabetes should have been obvious, first of all. The fact that no one checked for that is just dumb. I don’t know much about colitis except is is extremely painful, and involves the intestines. She also should have been sent to a cardiologist a long time before, because if you are passing out, there might need to be a cardiologist in your future!
She’s depressed now. She saw all the things they are testing her for, and I told her that’s normal. When I first got sick, they tested me for everything; no one ordered them thinking I actually had everything.
Hopefully, she gets her final answer soon. It’s not like those jokers can remove any more organs. I can’t believe technically, her insurance is better than mine, but she ended up with this mess. I wish she’d thought a little more before agreeing to all of that. She just blindly trusted, and you can’t do with such big things. The fault though, doesn’t lie with her.
26 people like this
22 responses
@DaddyEvil (147453)
• United States
28 Sep 23
I'm glad someone finally ran some tests to see what was wrong with her... I agree, she's not totally at fault but some of the blame does lie with her... I've never heard of anyone letting a general surgeon go at them like that. At the least, specialists should have been consulted before any operations happened.
5 people like this
@snowy22315 (188970)
• United States
28 Sep 23
At least she has answers now, which is something. You are right though...diabetes should have been the top of everybody's list.
4 people like this
@marguicha (226286)
• Chile
29 Sep 23
Diabetes checking is easy, like checking blood pressure. Those checks are common every time you go to any doctor. Then, if you are diabetic, you are derived to the doctor in charge of it. When there´s a surgery here, several doctors have to give a pass before it is done. My friend Dixie cannot have a minor leg surgery because of her heart problems. The leg is not as important so as to risk something with her heart.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (97883)
• United States
29 Sep 23
@marguicha Yes, exactly! I am totally with you. I don’t understand how this was allowed to happen.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (226286)
• Chile
28 Sep 23
In my country a General Surgeon is just a title after they are through with the first part of med school. But they can´t do surgery onjust anything they wish. That´swhy specialists are for. And even in specialties, there are those that do surgery and others that send their patients to a surgeon. Prior to my uterus and ovary removal I was checked by 2 specialists PLUS the surgeon that was specialized in gynecology and oncology. So, if he saw that something was not good while I was in surgery, I´d have biopsies and the like (a 4th specialist).
What you are telling us is a shame and I would not believe that it happens in your country.
3 people like this
@AmbiePam (97883)
• United States
28 Sep 23
It is rare for something like this particular thing to happen when even insurance generally requires specialists to see a patient before they pay for a surgery. Not to mention, a person usually has enough sense to get a second opinion on something like a spleen removal. I don't understand how it was allowed to happen. She did need her uterus removed though, as her endometriosis was causing her a lot of problems. Everything else though, was a waste.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (97883)
• United States
29 Sep 23
@marguicha I’m not sure who did the removal of her uterus. I totally agree though.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (226286)
• Chile
29 Sep 23
@AmbiePam But an uterus removal should not be done by a General Surgeon. Nor any other of the surgeries she had. That´s exactly what specialists are for.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (77472)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
28 Sep 23
That's why I will fight heaven and earth with my doctors.
4 people like this
@allknowing (145144)
• India
29 Sep 23
Did the general surgeon not test her before performing those surgeries on her? I find it odd that someone would just go to a surgeon and ask be operated upon
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (97883)
• United States
29 Sep 23
I should clarify her uterus was removed because she had an official diagnosis of endometriosis, and they thought that might be causing some of her other pain. So that was a justifiable removal. I don’t much about the other tests they did that prompted the surgeries. The spleen was last, and it seems as though the doctor used a process of elimination; well, these organs are gone, could it be the spleen? She said when the surgeon talked her into the spleen removal, he explained it to where it made sense why it MIGHT work. Oh, brother. Had I known she was getting all this done without proper medical advice, I would have spoken up, but she never indicated she hadn’t. I thought she knew better. I thought her doctors also knew better.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (97883)
• United States
29 Sep 23
@allknowing I don’t want to blame her because ultimately she wasn’t the one who suggested any of her treatment, and you naturally think your doctor knows what is best. But I do believe, after the first few things so clearly didn’t work, she had an obligation to herself to look elsewhere for care. More than her, I kind of hold her husband responsible. He is older, and supposedly wiser. He has a lot of life experience, and his judgment wasn’t clouded by pain as hers was.
2 people like this
@xstitcher (34065)
• Petaluma, California
8 Oct 23
Sometimes ya gotta wonder about the medical establishment...
1 person likes this
@Fleura (31598)
• United Kingdom
28 Sep 23
That's just crazy! I hope they get the right diagnosis this time. She should sue them for putting her through all those unnecessary ordeals.
All of those diseases she has now been diagnosed with are treatable, so I hope you can convince her that the outlook is not so bleak.
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
29 Sep 23
Any doctor worth his/her salt would straight away send for an MRI, CT, and ECG, and may also check ear functions if dizziness and passing out are the symptoms.
What I am reading in your post is beyond horrifying to say the least.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (187979)
• United States
29 Sep 23
I'm glad she's finally going to get some answers. It's too bad she agreed to all those surgeries. I wish her all the best. Have a good weekend.
1 person likes this
@freelancermariagrace (28884)
• Philippines
29 Sep 23
There are many organs removed. I am sorry to hear that. I hope she finds a better doctor real soon.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (43526)
•
29 Sep 23
I am sorry, she has been through so much, and now more. I hope she has some good doctors now to rely on, better than the previous ones.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (163362)
• United States
29 Sep 23
I worked for a man that had horrible pain. Eventually they removed his gall bladder, that did not fix it. He got better when they removed his teeth.
1 person likes this
@much2say (57522)
• Los Angeles, California
29 Sep 23
Thank goodness she finally got some real help . . . but sheesh, by now her body has already gone through so much and there's more. I don't know how these doctors got away with what all they did to her - sounds like it could be a major lawsuit. I hope she gets her answers now and get a new set of doctors. May she be on the road to recovery soon.1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (84651)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
29 Sep 23
All I can say is I wish her the best and hope she can finally get help and get on with living,
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (43479)
• United States
29 Sep 23
I sure hope she can get some help with these health issues. She's sure been through a lot.
1 person likes this
@just4him (318816)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Sep 23
Oh boy! Someone sure messed up. I'm sorry she had so much removed before they found out what the trouble was.
Colitis is easy to diagnose. So is diabetes. I have colitis. A simple colonoscopy will determine that problem. Testing your sugar levels is also easy to determine diabetes. To go ahead and take out all those organs is beyond belief. I'm not surprised she's depressed.
1 person likes this
